Tyrone shut Down out

Tyrone 0-14 Down 0-10: Defending champions Tyrone are through to the Ulster final after a four-point win over Down at Casement…

Tyrone 0-14 Down 0-10:Defending champions Tyrone are through to the Ulster final after a four-point win over Down at Casement Park in Belfast. Mickey Harte's side were slow to start but took control by the end of the opening half and never let their opponents back in the game.

Tyrone will meet either Monaghan or Fermanagh on July 18th.

Down opted to play against the wind in the first half but were not hampered early on, at least, and opened the scoring through Mark Poland and doubled their advantage through Ambrose Rogers.

Martin Penrose struck back for Tyrone but it was Down who were finding the target easier to hit and Dan Gordon restored the two-point margin.

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Poland scored another and Martin Clarke added two frees, before Rogers and Seán Cavanagh kept Tyrone in touch.

Daniel Hughes then scored what was to be Down’s last score of a pulsating half and Tyrone began to take control with a run of six straight points.

Penrose struck the first to close the gap to three. Joe McMahon and Cavanagh followed suit and the score were levelled by the latter after Joe Colgan was booked for Down.

Another Cavanagh free put them ahead and Carlin ensured a two-point lead at the break.

Down struck first in the second half but they soon lost their shape and Tyrone took control through points from Colm Cavanagh and Eoin Mulligan.

Benny Coulter was yet to score, at this stage, and was rarely seen, in truth, while Clarke was also becoming increasingly isolated.

Despite this, with 10 minutes to go, they were very much in the game with the defending champions, on the scoreboard at least.

Down’s best chance fell when Clarke found Hughes yards from goal but his effort was charged down by Paschal McConnell. The rebound dropped to Coulter but the forward was uncharacteristically sloppy and the chance was wasted.

At the other end, Penrose punished the missed chance with another point, only Tyrone’s fourth of the half, but it was enough for the dominant Red Hand side to progress.